Super 8 Standout Joel Courtney Set To Tackle Mark Twain As Tom Sawyer

J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 may have been an ensemble piece, but many walked away singing the praises of young actors Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney. Now the latter has begun building on the professional momentum that comes with having a summer hit.

Courtney’s name is attached to two projects, according to Variety. For starters, he’ll play Tom Sawyer in Jo Kastner’s Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, the latest adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic work. That film reportedly begins filming later this summer in Bulgaria. In addition to tacking Twain, Courtney is negotiating for a role in The Healer, which the trade describes as a supernatural thriller about a father and son who encounter an evil force while camping in the woods.

Let’s hope it isn’t a creature escaped from a train.

That’s great news that Courtney’s finding more work, though. He grounded most of Abrams’ sci-fi elements with his wide-ranging performance as a smitten teenager struggling to connect with an alienated father. It also feels like now’s a good time for a “Tom and Huck” adventure, and we certainly can see Courtney in the role. Now let’s find a few more projects for the immensely talented Fanning sister, and all will be right with the world.